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28
July 1809
Re-Organization
Bibliography
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The British Expeditionary Force to Walcheren: 1809
By Robert
Burnham
During the Napoleonic Wars, the British sent numerous
expeditionary forces throughout the world to assist in
destabilizing the French Empire. Some were successful, such
as the capture of Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa and
Jakarta in Indonesia. Others were total disasters, resulting
in either heavy casualties or the capture of the British
force, such as the attack on Buenos Aires in 1806. Without a
doubt, the worse expedition of the Napoleonic Wars was the
British landing in the Low Countries in 1809. The British
hope to achieve two goals: to assist the Austrians, who had
gone to war against the French and to destroy the French
fleet thought to be in Flushing.
The British force, of over 39,000 men began to land in
Walcheren on 30 July. [This force was larger than the
British force in Portugal under Wellington!] The
expedition's goals howereve, were poorly conceived and were
destined to failure. By the time the force had landed, the
Austrians had been defeated and were negotiating a peace
treaty with Napoleon. Although the British had captured
Flushing, the French had moved their fleet to Antwerp, thus
denying the British any chance of destroying it.
After four and a half months on Walcheren, the last
British troops were withdrawn on 9 December. The British
force had 4,066 deaths during the expedition, but only 106
officers and men were killed in combat. The rest died from
Walcheren Fever. The return of the force to England did
little to alleviate the problems. On 1 February 1810, a
staggering 11,513 officers and men were still carried on the
rolls as sick. Less than two years later, many of these
troops were still so weakened by the disease, Wellington
request that no unit that served in the Walcheren Campaign
be sent to him!
Unlike the British forces that served in the Peninsula
with Wellington, where there are numerous books listing the
order-of-battle for any given period, there is little
written about the British Expeditionary Force to Walcheren.
This paper examines the organization of the land forces
involved in the expedition.
British Expeditionary Force to
Walcheren
28 July 1809
Commander: Lord Chatham (John Pitt)
Second-in-Command: Sir Eyre Coote
Chief-of-Staff: Sir Robert Brownrigg
Left Wing
1st Division: Lieutenant General Sir John Craddock
Major General Graham's Brigade:
3/1st , 2/35th, 2/81st
Major General Houston's Brigade
2/14th, 51st, 2/63rd
4th Division: Lieutenant General MacKenzie
Fraser
Brigadier General Browne's Brigade
1/5th, 4 companies of the 2/23rd, 1/26th,
1/32nd
Major General Picton's Brigade
1/36th, 2 companies of the 2/8th, 77th,
1/82nd
Light Troops:
Brigadier General Mahon:
9th Light Dragoons
Brigadier General de Rottenburg
68th, 1/71st, 85th, Captains Cadoux's &
Jenkins' Companies from the 2/95th
Right Wing
Light Division: Lieutenant General the Earl of
Rosslyn
Major General William Stewart's Brigade
2/43rd, 2/52nd, 8 companies of the 2/95th
Major General von Linsingen's Brigade
3rd Dragoons, 12th Light Dragoons, 2nd
KGL Hussars
Major General von Alten's Brigade
1st KGL Light Battalion, 2nd KGL Light
Battalion
2nd Division: Lieutenant General Marquis of Huntly
Major General Dyott's Brigade
1/6h, 1/50th, 1/91st
Brigadier General Montresor's Brigade
1/9th, 1/38th, 1/42nd
One company of the 2/95th
3rd Division: Lieutenant General T. Grosvenor
Major General Leith's Brigade
2/11th, 2/59th, 1/79th
Brigadier General Acland's Brigade
2nd, 76th, 2/84th
Reserve: Lieutenant General John Hope
Brigadier General Disney's Brigade
1/1st Guards, 3rd/1st Guards, Flank Companies
of the 2/Coldstream Guards and the 2/3rd Guards
Major General William Erskine's Brigade
20th, 1/92nd
Major General Earl of Dalhousie's Brigade
1/4th, 2/4th, 1/28th
Captain Miller's Company of the 2/95th
Artillery
Commander: Brigadier General John Macleod.
Captain Alexander Macdonald's Troop, Royal Horse
Artillery
Foot Artillery Companies:
J. d'Arcy's Brigade, 2nd Battalion
T. Paterson's Brigade, 2nd Battalion
A. Campbell's Brigade, 3rd Battalion
T. Rogers's Brigade, 3rd Battalion
J. Brome's Brigade, 3rd Battalion
P. Drummond's Brigade, 3rd Battalion
W. Cleeve's Brigade, 3rd Battalion
E. Wilmot's Brigade, 3rd Battalion [light 6
pounders]
P. Fyers's Brigade, 3rd Battalion
H. Marsh's Brigade, 3rd Battalion [light 6
pounders]
S. Adye's Brigade, 5th Battalion [heavy
brigade]
R. Buckner's Brigade, 5th Battalion
N. Oliver's Brigade, 9th Battalion
H. Webber-Smith's Brigade, 9th Battalion
G. Massey's Brigade, 9th Battalion [light 6
pounders]
A. Munro's Brigade, 9th Battalion
The battering train consisted of 70 guns, 74 mortars,
and Congreve Rockets.
Staff Corps
2 Companies of Engineers
Waggon Train
3 Troops, 132 waggons, 238 carts.
Horses
Over 6,000 horses were embarked as part of the
force.
Map
of British Operations on Walcheren
The Re-Organization
On 31 July, the day after the troops began to land on
Walcheren Island, Lord Chatham announced a new organization
for the expeditionary force. This re-organization primarily
only affected the troops of the Left Wing, with Lord Paget
taking command of the "Centre" of the Left Wing. The Left
Wing and the 3rd Division landed on Walcheren Island, while
the Right Wing and the Reserve landed on South Beveland
Island.
British Expeditionary Force to
Walcheren
9 August 1809
On Walcheren Island:
Right Wing: Major General Graham
Colonel Day's Brigade
3/1st, 1/5th, 2/35th, 30 men of the Staff
Corps
Light Infantry
2 companies of 68th, 31 men from the 95th
Artillery: Webber-Smith's Brigade of light 6
pounders.
Centre: Lieutenant General Lord Paget
Brigadier General Browne's Brigade
2/23rd, 1/26th, 1/32nd, 2/81st
Brigadier General Rottenburg's Light Infantry
Brigade
8 companies of the 68th, 85th, Captains
Cadoux's & Jenkins' Companies from the 2/95th
Artillery: Massey's Brigade of light 6 pounders
Left Wing: Lieutenant General Fraser
Major General Picton's Brigade
50 men from the 2/95th, 1/36th, 2/63rd,
1/71st, 77th, a Battalion of Detachments, and 20 men
of the Staff Corps
Artillery: March's Brigade of light 6 pounders
Reserve:
Brigadier Houston's Brigade
2/14th, 51st, 1/82nd
3rd Division: Lieutenant General T. Grosvenor
Major General Leith's Brigade
2/11th, 2/59th, 1/79th
Brigadier General Acland's Brigade
2nd, 76th, 2/84th
Artillery: Adye's Heavy 9 pounders
On South Beveland Island
Light Division: Lieutenant General the Earl of
Rosslyn
Major General William Stewart's Brigade
2/43rd, 2/52nd, 8 companies of the 2/95th
Major General von Linsingen's Brigade
3rd Dragoons, 12th Light Dragoons, 2nd
KGL Hussars
Major General von Alten's Brigade
1st KGL Light Battalion, 2nd KGL Light
Battalion
2nd Division: Lieutenant General Marquis of Huntly
Major General Dyott's Brigade
1/6h, 1/50th, 1/91st
Brigadier General Montresor's Brigade
1/9th, 1/38th, 1/42nd
One company of the 2/95th
Reserve Division: Lieutenant General John Hope
Brigadier General Disney's Brigade
1/1st Guards, 3rd/1st Guards, Flank Companies
of the 2/Coldstream Guards & the 2/3rd Guards
Major General William Erskine's Brigade
20th, 1/92nd
Major General Earl of Dalhousie's Brigade
1/4th, 2/4th, 1/28th
Captain Miller's Company of the 2/95th
Artillery: Wilmot's Brigade of light six pounders
Bibliography
Duncan, John. History of the Royal Regiment of
Artillery Vol. II; London : John Murray; 1879.
Fortescue, John. History of the British Army Vol.
VII; London : MacMillan; 1912.
Jones, John T. Journal of Sieges Carried on by the
Army under the Duke of Wellington, in Spain Vol. III;
Cambridge : Ken Trotman; 1999.
Oman, Charles. Wellington's Army: 1809-1814
London : Greenhill Books; 1993.
Verner, Willoughby. History & Campaigns of
the Rifle Brigade London : Buckland and Brown; 1995.
Placed on the Napoleon Series: June 2000
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